Second airport would be key to jobs stimulus

Jacob Saulwick, Leesha McKenny

"I think people are open to at least hearing the arguments around it" ... David Borger. Photo: Dean Sewell

A SECOND Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek should be put back on the agenda to drive economic growth in the region, the western Sydney business lobby said.

Amid growing concerns about the lack of jobs in the area, some politicians and business groups are increasingly keen to promote an airport in western Sydney to generate an industrial stimulus.

''I think people are open to at least hearing the arguments around it,'' the Western Sydney director of the Sydney Business Chamber, David Borger said.

''There's a variety of views in the community about an airport - it's been a long time but increasingly there's almost a desperation about the need for jobs creation in western Sydney and we can't ignore the importance of that,'' Mr Borger, a former Labor roads minister and former mayor of Parramatta said.

The 1700 hectares of Commonwealth land at Badgerys Creek has long been considered for an airport after the site was selected by the Hawke federal government in 1986. But politicians have baulked at the idea fearing a local backlash to noise and environmental degradation.

The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, does not support a second airport in Sydney at Badgerys Creek, along with the mayors of Parramatta. The new Blacktown council has not discussed it.

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But some politicians in the area say the politics of airports are shifting.

The new Liberal mayor of Holroyd, Ross Grove, said a lot had changed since the council first resolved to oppose the Keating government's Badgerys Creek plan in 1991.

''Make no mistake, any site to be designated for a second airport will be rewarded by substantial private sector jobs investment in the surrounding precinct. However, until we have enough up-to-date information from airport advocates on potential runway alignments and supporting infrastructure it would be irresponsible to completely support any of these proposals,'' Cr Grove said.

Last month the Local Government Association's conference in Dubbo called on the federal government to expedite the construction of a second airport in Sydney. And a joint federal-state study into Sydney's aviation needs, released in March, said Sydney's Mascot airport would be at capacity by about 2020.

The study nominated Badgerys Creek as the most suitable site for a second airport, followed by Wilton, about 25 kilometres south of Campbelltown.

The federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, then commissioned another $1.5 million study into Wilton, to be completed early next year.

It is expected that report will demonstrate numerous obstacles to building an airport at Wilton, largely because of uneven land in the area.

Mr Albanese has also dismissed private sector proposals to add more runways to the existing Mascot airport.

Asked if he would support an airport at Badgerys Creek if Wilton was deemed unsuitable, Mr Albanese said: ''I welcome support for a second airport for Sydney from all quarters.

''When the Wilton study is complete, it will be released.''

In stressing the economic benefit of an airport, Mr Borger echoed similar arguments made by the chairman of Infrastructure NSW, Nick Greiner.

Western Sydney needed another ''nine Barangaroos'' to close a jobs deficit of about 200,000 in the region, Mr Borger said. ''Frankly there is no grand plan to close the jobs gap. An airport could be a game changer and we should look at it with open eyes.''